USAA urges Texans to secure flood insurance ahead of hurricane season

Hail has already hit Texas pretty hard and multiple occasion this year. With severe weather odds continuing to rise as spring progresses, so do the chances Texans will need to file some form of insurance claim after strong storms sweep the state. In fact, USAA warns there’s just a few weeks left to make sure flood insurance policies are in place before the start of hurricane season on June 1.

Last year, USAA saw around 60,000 insurance claims from hail in Texas – a high figure considering USAA is a more specialized insurance provider that serves military members, former and current, and their family members. According to YPA Adjusters, which calls Texas the “hailstorm capital of the United States,” there were 529 recorded hail events in Texas last year. That’s a 167% increase from 2023, according to the insurance site.

“Hail can be costly for a number of reasons, not only for your home,” USAA Communications Director Rebekah Nelson told MySA. “Think about your roof, any of your storage sheds, your fencing, your windows. Things like that. But also, mostly your vehicles.”

To help avoid a claim when the hail starts pummeling Texas, Nelson says folks can try to clear out space in their garages – admitting most folks use those covered spots for storage – to fit a vehicle in a covered space when hail threats loom. If that isn’t an option, covering up your car with a tarp or hail protector can prevent or decrease hail damage. As many have likely seen around San Antonio neighborhoods when sudden hail threats emerge, Nelson says folks can get pretty creative when finding things to cover their car hoods and roofs. But she says all efforts can help avoid an insurance claim.

If damage is unavoidable, Nelson offers up some wise words of advice. Firstly, she says it’s always best to call a USAA representative when figuring out what coverage makes the most sense for your region, and a USAA advisor is going to be able to help identify any coverage gaps that exist, especially for military members who suddenly find themselves in new locations on a regular basis with new weather risks.

“What makes sense for you living in Colorado may or may not make sense for you living in Texas and vice versa,” says Nelson. “If you are highly mobile, like most of our military families are, it is really important that you understand what you might need in your new city.”

She says folks should be reviewing their insurance policies twice a year when clocks spring forward and fall back, much like people tend to use that time to replace smoke detector batteries or clean gutters. There are a couple things Nelson says folks should look for specifically.

Hail, and other “acts of God” as insurance companies call them, are covered by comprehensive car insurance plans. But if you’re taking on the minimum liability coverage required in Texas when you own a vehicle outright, hail damage will have to be fixed out of pocket. Nelson says most home insurance plans include hail damage coverage, but she says people really should actually be reading their insurance policies to figure out what’s covered and what’s not. But a call in with a USAA rep should help you figure out any confusions.

Nelson also says fire and flood coverage are things people may overlook, thinking wildfires are isolated to California and flood insurance is for folks who live in flood plains. Rather, she says flood insurance for homes outside of the flood plain can usually be pretty inexpensive, and hurricanes can cause very strong winds and flooding further up into Texas.

For those realizing there’s a flood insurance gap in your policy, now is the time to act. Nelson says it takes 30 days for flood insurance to become active, and hurricane season kicks off June 1. If you want to protect your Texas home against rising waters if a hurricane or severe storm hits.

Finally, Nelson warns not to forget to notify USAA, or any insurance provider, if you’ve made improvements to your home. You don’t want to lose out on any potential reimbursement in an insurance claim if there was no record of your upgrades.

“It’s really just important that the value that you added to your home is considered because if your home ends up being a total loss, for some reason, you want to make sure that your insurance company has the most up to do date information so that added value can be considered,” Nelson said.